Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Kenneth Gainwell

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.

Friday, September 12, 11:35 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell will look to make more of an impact in Week 2 when his team takes on the Seattle Seahawks at home. With rookie rusher Kaleb Johnson toting the rock just once in his NFL debut last weekend, Gainwell operated as the team's clear-cut No. 2 backfield option. The former Philadelphia Eagle didn't turn his touches into much, but he saw just four fewer carries than teammate Jaylen Warren, and out-targeted him 4-2. Warren handily outgained him, though Gainwell should see decent volume on a team that has split backfield work over the past few campaigns. His standalone value is slightly diminished as of now, and stands to take a hit eventually when Johnson garners a larger workload. Still, he's ahead of him in the pecking order for the meantime. Gainwell is RotoBaller's PPR RB47 ahead of Week 2.